Traevena Byrd

Byrd's career in higher education began at the University of Iowa, where she served as an assistant director of admissions, and was followed by her appointment as the director of the Commission on the Status of African-Americans for the State of Iowa Department of Human Rights. She previously worked as associate general counsel at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, where she regularly taught a civil rights seminar as an adjunct faculty member. As Towson's chief legal officer, she currently manages the university's legal affairs, serves as legal advisor to the president and university executive officers, and acts as the liaison to the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.

Byrd received both her B.A. and J.D. from the University of Iowa. She is a past member of the board of directors for the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) and currently serves on the accreditation commission for the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA). She is a frequent presenter on the subject of free expression on campuses, and currently serves as a member of the steering committee for the American Council on Education's Campus Inclusion and Free Expression Project and as the chair of NACUA's 2018 conference on Free Speech and Campus Unrest.

Byrd is also a frequent presenter for a variety of higher education associations, including NACUA, American Council on Education (ACE), National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA).